Chapter 282 283. Is Lin Zhongyi engaged?
Lin Zhong managed to keep his composure.
Lei Zhouzhou and him have been trying to date for more than a year, but they are still just friends. They are not even more than friends but less than lovers, just pure friendship.
Zhou Yi was very anxious at first, worried that his Zhou Zhou was too naive and would be deceived, so he asked Lei Zhou Zhou to inform Lin Zhong every time he went out with him. Sometimes he would follow him and keep an eye on Lin Zhong to make sure he didn't do anything tricky.
But Lei Zhouzhou really didn't understand.
When Lin Zhong heard that Xiling's token of love was a hydrangea, he spent two months learning how to make one and gave it to Lei Zhouzhou. He didn't mention how many were scrapped during that time.
But Lei Zhouzhou did accept it and was happy about it. When he excitedly took out his box of small hydrangeas and pointed at them one by one, saying which one was given by so-and-so, the corners of Lin Zhong's lips, which had just been raised, flattened.
The white hydrangea that he had spent several months on and pricked his fingers countless times to make was sandwiched among a bunch of delicate and gorgeous or fresh and elegant hydrangeas, and it was as magnificent as the contrast between white button mushrooms and peonies.
Lin Zhong: “…”
He immediately hid his bandaged hands and secretly vowed to himself that he would never do this kind of manual work again in his life.
Why bring shame upon yourself?
The Marriage Goddess Temple Fair in June is a major festival in Kyoto. Unmarried young men will go to the Marriage Temple together to pray for marriage, and the noble ladies and men who have been left alone will also wear veils and make appointments to go out for fun.
Lin Zhong invited Lei Zhouzhou to the temple fair. He sent the other people away and went to the temple with Lei Zhouzhou to write marriage talismans under the marriage tree.
"It's said that if two people who are in love write a marriage talisman, tie the talismans together with red strings, and throw it onto a tree branch, they will live together forever."
Lin Zhong hinted, looking at Lei Zhouzhou, "Do you want to write one?"
"Me?"
Lei Zhouzhou's face was full of confusion, but his eyes were clear. "Can a marriage talisman also write good friends?"
“…”
The joy that had just risen in Lin Zhong's heart disappeared in an instant.
Including the Qiqiao Festival on July 7th, people in Kyoto will set up altars at home, and girls and boys will offer sacrifices to the Weaver Girl, praying that she will grant them wisdom and skills, and generally express their beautiful expectations for love.
Girls and boys will thread needles or make cookies to show off their dexterity. If they have a loved one, they will give the things they made that day to their loved ones in a roundabout way, mostly handkerchiefs, headbands and cookies.
If the couple is already engaged, the girl and boy will be bolder and more direct when giving gifts to their fiancé, and the fiancé will show them off after receiving them, so that people can know how smart and clever his fiancée is.
On the day before the Qiqiao Festival, Lin Zhong knew that beating around the bush would not work, so he directly expressed his expectation to receive the Qiqiao Festival gifts.
Then he changed the subject and said, "...If you don't want to do it, it doesn't matter if I don't have it. If Xu Sanlang shows off to me again tomorrow, I will just ignore him."
Xu Sanlang is Lin Zhong's good friend and the son of the Minister of War. He got engaged to a young lady from another aristocratic family last year, and the wedding date is set for September this year.
Engaged couples are sure to receive gifts during the Qiqiao Festival. Last year, when Xu Sanlang received a handkerchief from his fiancée, he showed it off to Lin Zhong. This year, he will definitely show off to him again.
"I can't make a handkerchief."
When Lei Zhouzhou was a child, he watched his grandmother embroidering things and wanted to learn it. However, he had no talent and even the clothes he sewed were crooked, let alone embroidering a flower.
Hearing this, Lin Zhong subconsciously wanted to say that it was okay, but then he said,
"I'll ask my dad if he can make cookies, and I can make them for you."
"good."
He nodded quickly, with a smile in his eyes. He had been so excited that he couldn't sleep all night.
The next day, Lin Zhong did receive the snacks made by Lei Zhouzhou. He would have been happier if he hadn't discovered that Lei Zhouzhou made a bunch and gave one to everyone in the mansion.
Lei Zhouzhou noticed that he was a little unhappy, so he explained, "Dad said the cookies I made were delicious, so I accidentally made too much and shared some with everyone."
"I see some people handing out chocolate cakes on the street. Is there any particular custom behind this?"
Some wealthy families in Kyoto with daughters and sons would distribute cookies on the street on the Qiqiao Festival. On the one hand, it was to show off their daughters or sons' good craftsmanship and win a good reputation for being smart and clever. On the other hand, it was to show their generosity and charity and enhance the family's reputation.
Lei Zhouzhou didn't think too much about it when he distributed chocolates to the mansion.
He simply did too much, and was happy when he saw that Lin Zhong was not as good as him when he received the cookies. He also thought that there were some rules for giving out cookies and that they should not be given out easily.
"No big deal."
Lin Zhong shook his head slightly and carefully put away the package of snacks made by Lei Zhouzhou.
Although it was not his alone, Lin Zhong was still very happy because Zhou Zhou made it and gave it to him personally. He thanked Zhou Zhou sincerely.
"As long as you like it."
Lei Zhouzhou also laughed happily, "If you like it, I'll make it for you next time."
Lei Zhouzhou has been influenced by Zhou Yi since he was a child. He is not very good at cooking, but he is particularly good at grilling, baking bread and baking cookies, especially grilling. Zhou Yi ranks first in the mansion, and he ranks second.
Usually Lei Zhouzhou goes to the kitchen to bake cookies, and when she goes out to play, she will bring some for Lin Zhong, because Lin Zhong said he likes to eat them - he likes them because Zhouzhou makes them.
When they went to the farm to hunt and barbecue, Lei Zhouzhou was always the main griller. Every time he grilled the first bunch of food, he would give it to Lin Zhong - because the jealous Lin Zhong would secretly squeeze others to seize the throne of the first bunch. Over time, Lei Zhouzhou subconsciously left the first bunch to him.
Lin Zhong, who seems to be as calm as a lotus, is actually very competitive and aggressive. The slow-witted Lei Zhouzhou not only fails to realize it, but is also subtly influenced by Lin Zhong to deepen her status as the queen.
Although but.
It seems that her status as the main wife is limited to that of a friend. Lei Zhouzhou is still the slow-witted king. When Lin Zhong feels that the atmosphere is charming and holds his hand or calls his name affectionately, she always gives him a clear look with a hint of doubt.
This made Lin Zhong's heart itch. He wanted to kiss him, but he didn't dare to. He wanted to ask him if he could kiss him, but he restrained himself from being polite and hesitated for a long time before asking.
So, although on the surface, in the eyes of those who didn't know, Lin Zhong and Lei Zhouzhou had been ambiguous for more than four years -
Kyoto is full of cunning people. The young master of the Duke of Suguo's mansion always asks out the noble boy of the Marquis of Changning's mansion. Isn't he interested in them? And the noble boy of the Marquis's mansion always agrees to go out and play. Isn't he also interested?
But in fact, Lin Zhong and Lei Zhouzhou are still good friends, good friends that one side is pursuing unilaterally.
Everyone who knew about it shed tears.
Zhou Yi's initial wariness and caution towards Lin Zhong gradually turned into a wariness mixed with a bit of sympathy.
He couldn't help but think of himself and Lei Li back then. If Lei Li hadn't been so reckless and straightforward, he might have been as slow-witted as Zhou Zhou. When the other party was about to kiss him, he thought there was something dirty on his face and the other party wanted to help him get it off.
Seriously speaking, if he hadn't fallen in love after marriage, Zhou Yi felt that he would never have the nerve to get married in his life.
Zhou Zhou's name sounds like him.
The personality is also most like him.
However, when the parties involved, Lin Zhong and Lei Zhouzhou, were not in a hurry, and when the Changning Marquis Mansion was not in a hurry either, someone in the Suguo Mansion was almost dying of anxiety.
The Duke of Su’s Mansion has a long lineage of people who marry princesses.
The mistress of the Duke of Su's Mansion is the sister of the late emperor and the aunt of the current emperor, Princess Henghuan. It was she who facilitated the relationship between Lin Zhong's brother Lin Piao and the Seventh Princess. Now that her youngest son has reached age, she is naturally anxious.
Originally, she disagreed with Lin Zhong's love for the Marquis of Changning's brother.
The most taboo thing in the court is forming factions for personal gain. As the mistress of the house, she knows best how powerful the Duke of Suguo and the Marquis of Changning will be after they marry.
Secondly, she didn't like Lei Zhouzhou from Changning Marquis Mansion very much.
This had nothing to do with the rumors about Lei Zhouzhou in Kyoto. She had seen Lei Zhouzhou before. He was handsome, with a simple and upright character. Compared with those playboys in Kyoto, he was so righteous that it was evil.
To be honest, she was a little envious of Lei Zhouzhou, because Lei Zhouzhou lived a free and easy life, which was much more comfortable than her life, which had been trapped in the deep palace since childhood, confined by high walls, and restricted by her status.
But she hated Lei Zhouzhou even more. She had kept her own son hanging for more than four years, which was too arbitrary.
If he likes her Lin Zhong, she can come to propose marriage, and she can ask for a large betrothal gift and high conditions. Since her own child likes him, she doesn't mind lowering her stance and discussing with the Changning Marquis' Mansion.
But when she asked Lin Zhong, "How's the progress? Does Zhou Zhou like you?"
Her youngest son had the same stern face as his father, "I know what I am doing, mother, there is no need to ask."
What does it mean to have a clear idea?
Princess Henghuan had seen so many monsters and demons, not to mention her own son, so she knew what it meant at a glance.
There is no progress between him and Lei Zhouzhou. He likes Lei Zhouzhou, but Lei Zhouzhou has neither said that she likes him nor rejected him.
Princess Henghuan couldn't eat or sleep.
Finally, she decided to do something drastic and had some rumors spread in Kyoto.
The rumor spread in the morning, and Lin Zhong asked Princess Henghuan about it at noon.
"There's talk in Kyoto about me getting engaged. Was it you, mother, who spread the news?"
"So what?"
The graceful and elegant Princess Henghuan took a sip of tea calmly, with a hint of satisfaction in her eyes. This tea was Longjing tea brewed before Qingming Festival this year, and the water was also the best mountain spring water, and it tasted excellent.
"Mother."
Lin Zhong's words were filled with dissatisfaction, and his brows furrowed slightly. "You know, I only have Zhou Zhou in my heart. I won't get engaged to anyone else."
"You are eighteen years old."
Princess Henghuan adjusted the gold-threaded, beaded hairpin on her bun and said, "This year, pick a boy or girl from a good family for engagement. The wedding will take place next year. The year after, you will come of age and enter the government to help your father. You can't just hang around Lei Zhouzhou anymore."
"You don't think about yourself, nor do you think about our Duke's Mansion. You and Lei Zhouzhou have caused so much trouble in the past few years, and your father and I have never intervened. Now is the time to start a family and settle down."
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